NASCAR-BGN: Mike Cope/Slim Jim Team Looking Strong for New Hampshire

6 May 1998

Mike Cope and his Slim Jim #30 racing team have a lot going for them this
weekend at New Hampshire.

To start with he will be driving the car that his teammate Mike
McLaughlin
used to win last year's NASCAR Busch Series race. Along with the car, he
will
have access to McLaughlin's New Hampshire set up. That's a big deal since
McLaughlin is not just the defending race champion, but is the New
Hampshire
International Speedway's leading race winner with six victories, plus he
holds
the track Busch Series qualifying record.

Cope has two previous starts at New Hampshire, his Busch Series debut
in 1996
and a Craftsman Truck Series race last year. In those two races he
completed
396 of 400 possible laps. This will be the first time this year he will be
competing on a track where he has radial tire experience.

New Hampshire will be Cope's third race with his new crew chief, Donnie
Richeson. Richeson brings a wealth of New Hampshire Winston Cup experience
to
Cope and the Slim Jim team.

"I've got a great car, some good experience and strong leadership all
going
for me at New Hampshire," said Cope. "For the first time this year I've
got
all these things coming together at the same time and place."

"Another thing is that New Hampshire is a flat track like many of the
tracks
that I have been racing on since I started. I like those kinds of tracks
because they require a lot of finesse and feel from the driver, you can't
just
hold it wide open."

"I know I'm still a Busch Series rookie, but at New Hampshire I'll feel
less
like a rookie than I've felt all year."

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